In Another Life
by MissBesanii
Summary: I wished that I could save you from the hurt, but things will never go back to how we were. I'm sorry I can't be your world. -Ikarishipping- One shot. -Slightly depressing/Vent-


Hey guys, shock horror, MissBesanii is writing. I've had trouble lately what with it being the end of yet another Academic year, but hopefully I have the whole of summer to beat that writer's block. ^^

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**In Another Life**

The keys dropped onto the table next to the door, like he did after every day after work.

"I'm back." He called, but there was no answer. She usually got home from work earlier than he did, maybe there was traffic. He shrugged and made for the bedroom to change from his sweat-ridden work clothes. Seeing how he'd concluded he was alone, he started at her appearance. Then had to have a double-take as he realised her body language.

After work, he usually came home tired and a little grumpy. She, however, came back as chirpy as she'd left and his grumpiness never bothered her because she was so used to it. Today was the exception. She sat on the corner of their bed, staring at him with watery eyes and rings of red to show she'd only recently stopped crying. Her hands were fidgety, twiddling her fingers until they settled in a knot on her lap. Her back was slouched, though she knew better than to sit in such poor posture. He couldn't see her feet. They were obscured by...

"Where are you going?" He tilted his head slightly in the childish way he always did whilst confused. It had been one of those things that made her giggle when the atmosphere wasn't so tense.

Instead, she inhaled shakily and looked down, not able to bare the look on his face when she told him; "I'm going to go home."

"Is your Mom okay?" He asked quickly, jumping to the wrong conclusion, she grimaced at having to explain further.

"No, Paul. She's fine. I'm..." She glanced up at him to see if he'd realised, he still looked clueless. "I'm leaving..."

The usual frown that was on his face became even more intense as he took a slight step forward. "Why?"

Deep in the back of his mind he knew why, he knew very well he'd been winding her up to this moment for years. He'd just always assumed she'd known this was the way things were, and that she'd cool down and things would be fine. Forever.

"Is it because of last night?" He asked; "I'm really sorry for ruining your party, Dawn. You know how he can grate on my nerves..." The night before had been her twenty-first birthday party. All of her friends that she'd accumulated over the years had come, and being the top coordinator that she was, it was a pretty big birthday-bash. She'd cried in happiness at the perfection of it all, and everything was running so smoothly up until late into the night. She had been chatting to one of her oldest friends, May, who had travelled from Hoenn to see her on this day. May was mid-story when she paused and frowned over Dawn's shoulders and then gasped. The gasp was followed shortly by the unmistakable sound of a punch and the grunt of the reciever. Dawn spun around to see her even older friend, Ash, recoiling from a blow as Kenny then held him back, and May's partner, Drew held Paul back.

Her partner of six years. The half of her she'd always said was the better half. It wasn't until that night did she realised that deep inside, he was as monstrous as people had protested.

The memory had played again and again in her head through the night, and realised there had been countless moments close to this in the past. It had tortured her to be the center of it all. People frequently asked her why she was with such an angry person, and although her closest friends smiled and were civil, she knew very well that they disapproved of Paul. One time, she and Zoey had a heated argument about her relationship, and didn't talk for months after that. Kenny had once made a rude remark about Paul while he wasn't present, and Dawn made sure to put him in his place. They made up quickly, as she knew Kenny was enormously jealous of Paul due to his unrequited love for Dawn. Ash always gave her trouble while they were alone, telling her she could do better and that he's worried for her. He'd never said it, but she knew he worried that Paul would be the violent type, and the night before had proved that Ash was right.

With memories still ringing in her mind, she sighed; "It's not just last night, Paul..."

"I didn't mean to, I just saw red! Surely you know it had built up to that for so long-"

"No!" She raised her voice to cut him off, he seemed startled by her sudden anger. "No I didn't know you were so angry! No I didn't know you were violent! I didn't know he was bothering you that much!" She breathed in, clenching her fists and pressing them tightly into her sides. "I never know anything about you Paul! I don't know when you're happy, sad, or... or angry. It's like I don't know you at all."

He inhaled, this had taunted her all night. He knew that smile this morning was fake. He knew that tenderness she'd shown last night was basic instinct to care for him when he was hurt. He glanced down at his knuckles, torn from the colliding of flesh at a great impact. The red that held the torn skin together reminded him of how overwhelmingly angry he was. How he had wanted to hit him again and again, and how much he wanted him to fight back. Primal instinct, he knew, but he knew it was not the time or the place. Hindsight was a bitch.

"Dawn I-"

"I can't keep fighting for us, Paul. I can't keep it up. I-" She let out a dry sob, then shakily inhaled. "I'm sorry..."

Her apology hit him hard, especially as she reached for her suitcase. He batted her hand away and picked up the case to hold it away from her. "You can't just walk away from this Dawn. That's not you, you don't give up."

She smiled weakly, but it quickly became overwhelmed by the sadness she felt. He dropped the case away from them and took her by the shoulders, jolting her slightly.

"I'll fix this Dawn, just... Just don't leave." He muttered. "I won't let you go."

"I love you... You know that right?" She told him quietly.

"Don't say it like that!" He yelled, abruptly breaking down. "Don't you dare say it like a goodbye."

Tears began rolling from her eyes as he pulled her to him, his vice like grip around her making it hard for her to move.

"Let me go Paul." She tried to say as sternly as possible. She didn't mean just physically.

He wouldn't, his arms only tightened. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." He babbled, quite clearly crying himself now. She had only ever seen him cry once before in the eleven years they'd known each other, but she had not been the reason for his pain. She hated herself for being the source now, but she had given up too much for him now. She couldn't carry on the way they were.

"Dawn..." He moaned.

Her hands came down on his shoulders, and she tried to push him away, squirming through his grip. He fell to his knees, his arms clasped around her hips, his cheek pressed against her stomach.

"Please..." She sobbed. "Please let me go."

The way she begged tore him to pieces, he only had himself to blame. He had driven her to such an extreme, to want to be away from him this badly. He couldn't bring himself to be selfish about it, with all the resistance in his body, he let go of her, hanging his head and sitting on his heels as she stepped away.

Silently, she picked up her luggage and made her way for the door, only pausing to place something in his hand. He didn't look, he could feel the dainty weight on his hand, the platinum band with it's tiny crown of diamonds scattered on top. His heart sank.

"...I love you." He heard her say one last time.

"I love you too." He replied quietly, running his hands through his hair as tears seeped down the sides of his cheeks. His head ached, and his lungs were struggling to find their rhythm again. He felt lost in his own home.

She was gone, and he was alone.


End file.
